US Designates Palestine Action as Terrorist Group
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Palestine Action on Wednesday, designating the British organization a terrorist group and blocking its US-held assets.
- All group property in the US or held by American citizens is now blocked.
- US nationals are prohibited from doing business with or donating to the group.
- Treasury also sanctioned an Italy-based entity accused of supplying digital services to antifa and other far-left groups.
- Supporters of Palestine Action may now be barred for life from entering the US.
Why it matters: The designation is part of a wider administration effort to shift counterterrorism focus onto left-wing organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month convened officials from more than 60 countries to discuss what he called 'far-left terror.'
- Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns that the administration is politicizing counterterrorism and diverting resources from other extremist threats.
- Britain banned Palestine Action in July 2025; more than 2,700 arrests have been made under the Terrorism Act since then.
How 10 sources split on this story
Where they split: The core dispute is whether Palestine Action's direct-action tactics — property destruction targeting defense companies — constitute terrorism or protected political dissent.
Reuters56mEUA miram Palestina Action em iniciativa antiterrorista contra grupos de “extrema esquerda”
BBC News1hUS designates Palestine Action a terrorist group
Jerusalem Post0mUS targets Palestine Action in counterterrorism effort against 'far-left' groups
Sky News4h<a href='https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-burnham-labour-farage-badenoch-reform-12593360?postid=12290168#liveblog-body'>US sanctions Palestine Action as 'transnational terrorist group'</a>TITimes of Israel55mFollowing UK’s lead, US designates Palestine Action as a terrorist organizationLeft coverage, 4 sources: The left frames the designation as part of a systematic effort to criminalize pro-Palestine activism and suppress left-wing dissent, raising First Amendment concerns.
Al Jazeera26mUS imposes sanctions on Palestine Action and other left-wing groups
The Guardian2hUS issues sanctions against UK-based direct action group Palestine Action
The Independent50mTrump administration designates Palestine Action a terrorist groupRight coverage, 1 sources: The right frames the sanctions as a legitimate counterterrorism measure against a group whose members have carried out violent attacks on defense facilities.
What’s next: Co-founder Huda Ammori won permission to appeal Britain's terrorism ban to the UK Supreme Court. A hearing is expected between October 1 and December 21.
- 1,855 people charged with carrying placards supporting Palestine Action have cases adjourned until October 26, pending the appeal's outcome.
- Will the UK Supreme Court overturn Britain's terrorism designation, and if so, how would that affect the US sanctions?
- How broadly will the administration apply the far-left counterterrorism framework to other organizations?